Corn-harvester.



J. RIGKEL. CORN HARVESTER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, 1909 Patented Nov.29, 1910.

6 SHEETS-SHEET l.

J. RICKEL. CORN HARVLSTER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, 1909.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

v @E/VZ'OR J. RIOKEL. CORN HARVESTER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, 1909.

E m "I'm a 9 w "I n 2 r M I M W W m 7 A. N w N, d 5 a n 1 8 u PWITNESSES J. RIGKEL. CORN HABVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26., 1909. 976 921 5 SHEETSSHEET 4.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIH Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

1m: NaaRls PETERS c0 wasumar u, n, c,

J. RICKEL. CORN HARVESTER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, 1909.

JAMES RIGKEL, OF VERNDALE, MINNESOTA.

CORN-HARVESTE R.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

Application filed June 26, 1909. Serial No. 504,558.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES RIoKnL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Verndale, in the county of Wadena and State of Minnesota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn-Harvesters, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference beinghad to theaccompanying drawmgs.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for harvesting andhusking corn.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple andpractical machine of this character which when drawn through a fieldover a row of corn, will strip the ears of corn from the stalks, thenhusk the ears and discharge them into a suitable receptacle or a wagondriven alongside of the machine.

Further objects of the invention are to provide improved means forfeeding the corn to the snapping rolls, improved adjusting means forsaid feeding means and improved husking means.

lVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of thenovel features of construction and the combination and arrangement ofparts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the improvedcorn harvester showing a portion of its husking belt broken away; Fig. 2is a side elevation; Fig. 3 is a rear elevation; Figs. 4 and 5 arevertical sections taken, respectively, on the planes indicated by thelines 44 and 55 in Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a detail section taken on the planeindicated by the line 66 in Fig. 2; and Fig. 7 is a detail view of theextensible shaft.

The machine comprises a main frame 1 having, preferably, a forwardly andrearwardly extending front portion 2 and atransversely extending rearportion 3. One end of the latter is supported by a ground wheel 4 andits other end by a caster wheel 5 which is swiveled at 6; and said frontportion 2 of the frame is supported by a bull wheel 7 fixed to atransverse shaft 8. A drivers seat 9 is also arranged on the frontportion 2 of the main frame and over the bull wheel is a guard 10 toprotect the driver.

11 denotes a draft tongue or pole to which draft animals may beattached,

but it will be understood that, if desired, the machine may be propelledby a motor instead of animals.

On the right hand side of the main frame opposite one end of thetransverse frame 3 are secured two uprights 12 on which is slidablymounted a support 13 for a pair of snapping rolls 14, 15 and for twogathering arms 16, 17. The support 13 is in the form of an upright plateand has secured on its outer face channel guides 18 which receive andslide upon the uprights 12. Said frame or support 13 is raised andlowered by rotating a crank 19 on a forwardly and rearwardly extendingshaft 20 journaled in bearings 21 on the frame 13 and having fixed to itpmions 22 which mesh with rack bars 23 on the uprights 12, said pinions22 working through slots in the guides 18. A pawl and ratchet lockingdevice 24 is shown in Fig. 2 as provided for locking the shaft 20, butit will be understood that any other means may be provided for lockingthe frame or support 13 in adjusted position.

The snapping rolls 14, 15 are corrugated and have reduced or taperedforward ends. The outer roll 14 is preferably disposed in a planeslightly above the inner roll 15 and the shafts 25, 26 of said rolls arejournaled in bearings provided on the upper portion of the plate 13, anda forwardly and rearwardly extending plate 27, the rear end of which isconnected to the plate 13 by a transverse plate 28. Upon the shafts 25,26 in rear of the plate 28 are fixed meshing gears 29, 30 so that thesnapping rolls turn in unison in opposite directions.

The forward ends of the gathering arms 16, 17 are turned outwardly sothat the stalks of a row will be deflected between said arms and therear end of the inner arm 16 is pivoted at 31 to the plate 13. Said arm16 is adjusted vertically by means of an angular hand lever 32, thelower end of which is pivoted at 33 to the main frame and the upperportion of which carries a pin to work in a longitudinal slot 34 in saidarm 16. The lever 32 may be held in adjusted position by the usual pawland rack locking device 35. The outer arm 17 has its rear end pivoted at36 to the plate 27 and it is simultaneously raised and lowered with thearm 16 by connecting its intermediate portion to one end of a cable 37which passes around the plate 28, through guides 38, 39,

40," 41 and'has'its other end connected to the lever 32, as will bereadily understood on reference to Fig. 2. r 7

Upon the arm 16 is mounted an endless chain 42 carrying fingers 43 whichfeed the stalks between the gathering arms. Said chain passes aroundsprocket wheels on shafts 44, 45. The shaft 45. has its upper.

end journaled in a horizontal plate onthetop of'the arm 16 and its lowerend is formed with achollow or openportion 46 into which telescopes thesquared or fiat facedupper end {l7 of a vertical shaft 48 journaled in abearing bracket 49 mounted A on a horizontal shaft 50 journaledin bear-'witha beveled gear 58fixed to the shaft 25.

The ears of corn as they drop from the V snapping rolls fall into ahopper 59 arranged at thelower endof-a trough c011- sisting of'twoupright side plates 60 secured to the transverse frame 3.7 The bottom ofthe trough' 6.0 is formedby a plurality ofstationary transverselyextending plates 61 between which are arranged pairs of co-actinghusking rollers 62, 63. These rollers are of cylindrical form, therollers 62' having annular grooves 64 while the rollers 63have spurs orteeth 65. If desired, spurs or teeth 66 may be provided on the upperfaces ofthe bottom plates 61. Adjacent the lowermost pair of, thesehusking rollers in the bottom of the hopper 59 are two toothed;'rollers'67which are similar to the rollers 63.

The shaft 68 of one ofthe rollers 67 has upon its rear end a sprocketwheel which is connected by a sprocket chain 69Vto a sprocket wheel uponthe rear end of. the shaft 25.

The rear ends of the shafts 70 of the grooved rollers 62 have fixed tothem sprocket wheels which are driven simultaneously in the samedirection by a sprocket chain7 land the grooved roller of-the lowestpair has the rear endof its shaft extended,

as shown at 72 in Fig. 1, and provided with asprocket wheel which isconnected by a sprocket chain 73 to'a sprocket wheel upon the rear endof the shaft 26. The forward ends offthe, shafts 74 of the toothedhusking rollers 63 have arrangedvupon them sprocket wheels which areconnectedtogether for simultaneous movement in the same directiondriving roller 89 and over by a sprocket chain 75, which latter also onthe front end of the shaft 68. Fixed to the forward end of the shaft 70of one of the grooved husking rollers is a sprocket wheel 83 which isconnected by a sprocket chain 84 to a sprocket wheel 85 fixed to therear end of the shaft 50. By reason of the gearing just described, itwill be seen that the motion of the bull wheel will be imparted to thehusking rollers and also to the snapping rolls and the feed chains.

The ears of corn are caused to travel up through thetrough 60 and overthe husking rollers by a flexible belt or apron 8(3 having transverseslats 87 provided with teeth or spurs 88. Said belt passes over an uppertwo lower guide rollers 90, as shown in Fig. 5. The driving roller 89has the front end of its shaft extended and provided with a sprocketwheel which is connected by a. sprocket chain 91 to the shaft 70 of oneof the grooved husking rollers 64. In this way theapron 86 will bedriven so that its lower stretch travels upwardly and holds the ears ofcorn down upon the husking rollers, which latter rotate in oppositedirections, as indicated by the arrows in Fi 5.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation andadvantages of the invention will be readily understood without a moreextended explanation.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed in detail, it will be understood that I do not wish to limitmyself to the precise construction set forth and that various changes inthe form, proportion and arrangement of parts and in the details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the spiritand'scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimedis:

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a mainframe, a vertically adjustable frame thereon, snapping rolls arranged onsaid vertically adjustable frame, gathering arms arranged in advance ofthe snapping rolls, an endless fingered feeding chain arranged on one ofsaid arms, a driving sprocket wheel for said chain, a shaft sectionhaving said sprocket wheels secured to its upper end and having itslower end provided with a tubular portion, a second shaft sectionjournaled in a. bearing upon the main frame and having a flat facedupper end to slide in the tubular lower portion of the first mentionedshaft section, a ground wheel on the main frame, and driving meansbetween said ground wheel and said second shaft section, a fingeredfeeding chain arranged over said snapping rolls, means for driving thelast mentioned chain and said rolls, and means to receive ears of cornfrom said rolls.

2. In amachine of the character described, the combination of a wheelsupported main frame, a vertically adjustable frame, snapping rollsarranged on said vertically adjustable frame, vertically adjustablegathering arms arranged in advance of said snapping rolls, a fingeredfeeding chain on one of said arms, a fingered feeding chain arrangedover said snapping rolls, means for driving said rolls and said chains,a hopper to receive theears of corn from said rolls, a trough extendingupwardly from said hopper, spaced bottom plates in said trough, pairs ofhusking rollers between said bottom plates, one roller of each pairbeing grooved and the other having teeth, an endless apron for feedingears of corn through the trough and over said husking rollers, and meansfor driving said apron and said husking rollers.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a frame,a pair of gathering arms pivoted for vertical swinging movement,snapping rolls arranged in rear of said arms and means for operatingsaid rolls, an adjusting lever having a slot and pin connection with oneof said arms, means for securing said lever in an adjusted position,uides, and a flexible connection arrange in said guides and having oneend connected to said lever and its other end to the other of said arms.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

JAMES RIOKEL.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN COLLINS, JOHN BECKER. a.

